Wucan – Axioms
Release Date: 29th August 2025
Label: Long Branch Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Hard Rock, Jazz, Krautrock, Electronica, Retro Rock, Disco.
FFO: Blue Pills, Jethro Tull, Kadavar, The Vintage Caravan.
Review By: Mark Waight
“Axioms” is the fourth studio album from four-piece Dresden based hard rockers Wucan. It’s an evolutionary and conceptional composition, combining elements from all their previous releases with an abundance of fresh new ideas.
Built on solid 70s hard rock foundations and two years in the making, “Axioms” also references Krautrock and Prog Rock as well as occasional ventures into electronica, it even features a little bit of cheeky jazz and funk attitude without ever straying too far from the path that Wucan are most instantly recognisable for.
Wucan is Francis Tobolsky (vocals, guitar, flute, theremin), Tim George (guitar), Philip Knofel (drums) and Alexander Karlisch (bass).
With its galloping pace and fluttering flute versus the versatile vocals of Francis Tobolsky opener “Spectres of Fear” gets us swiftly out of the blocks and off to a flyer. It very much has the spectre of a Yes or Rainbow classic hanging over it, with an absorbing electronica opening before morphing into a pretty-cool glimpse into the more colourful psychedelic roots of the distant past.
Wucan show that they indeed have plenty of “Irons in the Fire” with this fantastic hard rocking tune that combines superb harmonious vocals and a smoking hot riff that will simply have sparks flying from your air guitar in all manner of directions.
With an almost jazz funk groove to it, “Wicked, Sick and Twisted” has more than just a 70s disco and dance floor filler vibe going on. Is it time to break out those dusty old flares, platform shoes and don an Afro wig, it could well be!
Keeping to a similar theme, “KTNSAX” keeps that disco ball rolling but this time with the aid of a bit of Glam Rock and sing-along chorus for company. This upbeat track will light up your world like a dozen bright and flashing neon lights in an old school sleazy backstreet nightclub!
Heavy on the percussion tune, “Holz auf Holz” certainly keeps those feet moving but this time with the aid of a more rock leaning soundtrack. If you’re not toe tapping along by this time, then your feet must be nailed firmly to the deck!
“Pipe Dreams,” we all have them, but in this case this one is a kick ass rocking tune with a pulsating fuzzy hook and a tasty vocal delivery that gives Francis Tobolsky’s tonsils an extremely good work out and no mistake! Hell Yeah!
Title track “Axioms” takes things down a notch or two and proceeds to softly bubble along like a gentle stream before the intensity and pace slowly build to a tapered climax.
If you have been constantly searching for the “Fountain of Youth” then here it is in its musical form. With exerts taken from right across Wucan’s vast repertoire, this curtain closer combines different strands from the entire album and weaves them into one strong golden thread that will leave you suitably satisfied.
As far as conceptional albums go, “Axioms” rocks as Wucan mix it up big time and unleash an eclectic collection of terrific tunes that will certainly get people talking about what’s hot and what’s not, as well as deep discussions on which direction they think the band will possibly go next. There are a couple of tracks here that the hard rock purists will adore, but if you love your music where specific genres and boundaries lines are blurred, then “Axioms” may well appeal to you more and is certainly worthy of further investigation.
(3.5 / 5)
